On 9 May 2006, SYSTRA was awarded the contract to prepare a feasibility study into a high-speed rail link from Kiev to Lviv and from Kiev to Odessa in Ukraine using tilting train technology. Funding for the study is being provided by Natexis Banques Populaires, acting on behalf of the French government (Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry- DGTPE), as part of the Fund for Research and Aid to the Private Sector (FASEP).
Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia), who commissioned the study, have made plans to modernise their network in the face of considerable competition from road transport and airlines. SYSTRA has been operating in Ukraine for a number of years and has been given the task of identifying and finding solutions to any potential problems of compatibility arising from the particular network infrastructure required to operate Pendolino-type tilting trains.
SYSTRA has the support of several leading French industrials on the project : Alcatel is responsible for the communications system, CSEE for signalling, and Cegelec for the energy supply, whilst Alstom is handling the rolling stock and Vossloh is in charge of the track.
The total budget for the study is 623 992 Euros. Work began on 27 June 2006 and will be completed by 30 June 2007.
